Master Trumpeter Luis “Perico” Ortiz celebrates 55th Anniversary

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts presents LUIS “PERICO” ORTIZ “Hasta Siempre”, a celebration of his 55-year career on Saturday, January 20th, 2018 at 8 pm. A legendary musician, educator, producer, arranger, and composer in the world of salsa, this concert will be a journey that celebrates Ortiz’s musical collaborations with great artists such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Tito Rodriguez, Machito, Rubén Blades, and Mongo Santamaría, plus a section of salsa dura with special guests Domingo Quiñones, Roberto Lugo, and Johnny Kenton. This concert is produced by Lehman Center and Leo Tizol.

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts is on the campus of Lehman College/CUNY at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, Bronx, NY 10468. Tickets for LUIS “PERICO” ORTIZ on Saturday, January 20th, 2018 at 8pm are $100*VIP, $65, $55, and $50 and can be purchased by calling the Lehman Center box office at 718-960-8833 (Monday through Friday, 10am–5pm, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert), or through online access at www.LehmanCenter.org.

Tickets purchased before January 1st, 2018 will include a free Luis “Perico” Ortiz’s CD. *VIP Reception: The HAVANA CAFÉ, Havana Club Rum and Lehman Center special VIP pre-concert wine, beer, Havana Club Rum & hors d’oeuvres reception will start at 6:30 pm. VIP tickets include the reception and the best seats in the house. At the reception meet other patrons and the staff of Lehman Center. Sponsored by Havana Café Restaurant and Havana Club Puerto Rican Rum. Lehman Center is accessible by #4 or D train to Bedford Park Blvd. and is off the Saw Mill River Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. Low-cost on-site parking available for $5.

LUIS “PERICO” ORTIZ is a trumpeter, arranger, producer and composer that was raised in Santurce, Puerto Rico. A musical child prodigy, he studied at the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico in San Juan and also graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, before joining the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (under the direction of Pau Casals) while still a teenager. At the age of 21, he moved to New York City to work with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Rodríguez, Johnny Pacheco, David Bowie and the Fania All-Stars. Ortiz released his first solo album, My Own Image, in 1977. Forming his own orchestra with vocalists Roberto Lugo, Domingo Quiñones, and Rafael Jesús the following year, he released the hit album Super Salsa that included the now classic song “Julián de el Valle”. Ortiz is one of the greatest trumpet players in Latin American music and has the ability to smoothly transition from classical to pop, to jazz, to Latin jazz, to salsa. He has accompanied great artists such as Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Dionne Warwick, Diahann Carroll, The Supremes, and Paul Anka. In 1987, he composed and recorded the soundtrack for the film Mondo New York. The following year he produced and was the musical director for Barry Manilow’s album Hey Mambo. As Dailen Promotions and Luis Perico Ortiz Productions, Ortiz produces soundtracks and production services, and advertising jingles for clients as varied as Smirnoff, McDonald’s, HBO, the Walt Disney Company, and Quincy Jones. Highlights of his esteemed recording career include the albums Sabroso!, Café Con Leche y Dos De Azúcar, Jamming, Cristo Está En Victoria, One of a Kind, more than a dozen Fania All-Stars albums and the now classic hits “La Vida en Broma”, “In Tradition”, “Breaking the Rules”, “Bohemio”, “Pa’Lante”, “Entre Amigos”, “De Patitas”, “Alabao”, and “Compartir”. He has won numerous awards for both his talent as a musician and composer, as well as for his innovative ideas in arrangement and musical production. These awards include Puerto Rico’s Diplo Award, four Latin New York Magazine Awards, two ACE Awards and a TU Musica Award. Additionally, he is a professor of Jazz Performance and Caribbean Music at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico. Currently, Ortiz is in the process of writing a book titled Lo Que Me Tocó Vivir about his career in the music industry and will feature personal stories of his experiences with many of the artists he has collaborated with such as Rubén Blades, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and more.

DOMINGO QUIÑONES, one of the world’s most popular salsa stars, was born in New Jersey and moved when he was four years old to Ceiba, Puerto Rico where he grew up singing salsa, bachata, rumba and Cuban charangas. Returning to New York City as a young teenager, he began his career with Conjunto Nativo in 1981 and also sang coro with Rafael de Jesús, Jose Alberto, Johnny Rodriguez and Conjunto Clásico before becoming the lead vocalist for Luis “Perico” Ortiz’s orchestra. Going solo, he released his first album Domingo es Mi Nombre in 1990. His second release Pintando Lunas (1992) included a salsa version of “Crazy For You”, and the duet with Tony Vega “Dos Amigos”, earning it the number 2 spot on the charts. Since then Quiñones has had many top ten hits including “Tu Como Estas”, “Soy”, “Si Tu Te Vas”, “No Voy A Dejarte Ir”, “Nos Sobro La Ropa” and “Que No Te Atreves”. His two most recent albums are De Vuelta al Amor and El Mensaje: Grands Voces Cristianas with Alex D’Castro and Tony Vega.

ROBERTO LUGO, nicknamed “El Galán de la Salsa” is a salsero that grew up in Guayama, Puerto Rico where he won the school competition vocalist award, Bellas Atres Como Major Solista. In 1978 he recorded his first album with La Orquesta Charanga Kreacion. Two years later he joined as lead singer, the orchestra led by Luis “Perico” Ortiz, with whom he recorded six albums. In 1984, Lugo recorded Este Es Robert Lugo, the first of many solo albums that have included hit songs such as “Mas Amor”, “Aquí Estoy Yo”, “Entregate”, “Balada Para Una Mujer”, and “Lo Siento” (salsa romantica). Lugo is also actor, on stage and in soap operas.

JOHNNY KENTON was born in Santo Domingo, moved with his parents as a child to New York City and studied music at the Bronx Community College. In the 1970’s he was a vocalist in a merengue band that he formed with his three brothers called Los Kentons, that was known for their innovative, flashy choreography. As a percussionist, Kenton worked with several orchestras including ones led by Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Orestes Vilató “Los Kimbos”, and the late Luis Ramírez “Noche Caliente”. Beginning in the 1980’s Kenton also sang and recorded with the orchestras of Juan Valdez, Santiago Ceron, the female-fronted merengue band Millie, Jocelyn y Los Vecinos, Fausto Rey, Rubby Perez, Willie Colon, and Luis “Perico” Ortiz. He also has released two albums: 1993’s A Dondre Iras and Hijo De Rosa (1996).

Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council. The 2017-2018 Season is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional funding is provided by Con Edison, the New Yankee Stadium Community Benefits Fund, the Rudin Foundation, the Hyde and Watson Foundation, and the friends of Lehman Center.

A graduate of Empire State College with a dual major in journalism and Latin American studies, Tomas Peña has spent years applying his knowledge and writing skills to the promotion of great musicians. A specialist in the crossroads between jazz and Latin music, Peña has written extensively on the subject.